Combined piano and harmonium



(No Mode1.\l 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. W. ERBE. COMBINED PIANO AND HARMONIUM. No. 402,427. Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

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J. W. ERBE.

COMBINED PIANO AND HARMONIUM.

No. 402,427. Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

J. W. ERBE.

COMBINED PIANO AND HANMONIUM.

(No Model.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. WfERBE.

COMBINED PIANO AND HARMONIUM. No. 402,427. Patented Apr. 80, 1889.

(No Model.) s'heets-Sheet 5. J. W. ERBE. COMBINED PIANO AND HARMONIUM.

Patented Apr. 30, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JACOB VILHELM ERBE, OF EISENAOH, SAXONY, GERMANY.

COMBINED PIANO AND HARMONIUM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 402,427', dated April 30, 1889.

Application filed September 28, 1888. Serial No. 286,680. (No model.) Patented in Germany February 18, 1888, No. 43,301.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB WILHELM ERBE, manufacturer, oi Eisenach, in the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Toimar-Eisenach, in German Empire, have invented new and useful Improvements in Combined Piano and Harmonium, of which the following is a specification, reference being' had therein to the accompanying drawings, no patents being obtained by me anywhere for this invention except in the German Empire by Letters Patent No. 3,301, February 1S, 1888.

My invent-ien relates to a piano combined with a harmonium, by Ineans of which the piano alone or the harmonium, or both, Inay be played together by using one key-board only, and whereby the same uniform pressure is required to move the keys, whether the harmonium or the piano, or the two together, are being played.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section ol' the combined piano and harmonium on the section-line C l) of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a cross-section on section-line A B ot Fig. l. Fig. 3 `is partly a section on lino E F and a section on line G il oit Fig. Fig. i is a longitudinal section of the piano, showing a front view of the contrivancc for displacing the decresccndo mechanism or leverage of the piano. Fig. 5 is a viewfpartly in section, oi' the floor or bottom of the keyboard, showing also a side view of the decrescendo mechanism or leverage for reducing the compass or extent of the sound of the piano, or lfor entirely displacing the mechanism oi' t ie piano. Fig. G shows a horizontal section partly through the airchamber at G Il, 2, and partly through the wind-chest F, Figs. l and 2. Fig. 7 shows in cross-section the folding or movable and adjustable contrivance for the decrescendo mechanism or leverage. Fig. S :is a plan of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 shows a cross-section of the mechanism of the register. Fig. lO is a front view of this register mechanism, the windchest being cut through. Fig. ll shows in section the arrangement of the register mechanism in the register producing expressive and hi gh play.

The combined piano and harmonium forms the union ot' th c wel l-known instrum ont called a harmonium with a piano in such a manner that the same key-board, in combination with suitable register mechanism, serves either to play the piano alone or to play the harmonium and the piano together; lastly, to play the harmonium alone, the height or extent oi sound of the instrunlent being increased or mutlled or diminished by the arrangement of a crescendo and decrescendo mechanism, or the piano being entirely thrown out of action. rihe harmonium can be further altered or modified in sound by different register mechanism, (bass, English horn, flute, clarionet, and such like.)

A characteristic feature of this combined piano and harmonium is that the keys can be constantly easily and uniformly played (it being a matter of absolute indifference as to touch) whether the harmonium or the piano or both are played at the same time, and that in order to include or dispense with the harmonium nothing more is needed than to depress the bellows or to release them. In a similar manner the motion ot the decrescendo mechanism suiiices to exclude or dispense with the use ol the mechanism ol' the piano.

The mechanism oli. the piano maybe of any desired construction with the exception of the keys, which differ from the ordinary construction, inasmuch as they are lengthencd at the rear and carry at their rear and lower sides valvesf, bymeans of which are ordinarily covered or multi ed the wind channels or passages of the sound-boxes of harmoniums, and thereby the reeds being left free to vibrate when the said keys are raised.

The harmonium is arranged in the lollo win g manner: The bellows ll i'or the wind are arranged in the front part of the case or chest ol' the piano and are moved up and down by the treadle a, with the intermediary of the lever a, having two arms, and of the connecting-rods a. The wind taken up by the bellows in their up-and-down motion is driven through the vertical channels or passages b and through the lateral passages b into the collecting-bellows G, which are formed upon a flooring, G', suspended at its four sides to the floor of the wind-chest by means of leather folds or bags G. By means of springs L, which are arranged between the liooring G and the top or part Il. of the bellows Il, the

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collecting-bellows G are maintained constantly pressed together, while the wind supplied by the bellows H serves to expand the same. By this arrangement aproportionatelyconstant pressure o f air is obtained in the collecting-bellows G. Above these latter bellows, G, is placed t-he wind-chest F, which is divided in two separate halves by a partition or division-wall, F', into which halves the air iiows through two openings, c c', controlled by the valves c c. These valves are set or actuated by the expressive and high-play register mechanism, hereinafter to be described.

From the wind-chest the wind enters the four sound-boxes E E through the openings d d', which are also capable of being closed or opened by the valves cl2 d3. These valves are moved by registers, and for this motion the bass,English-horn, iiute, and clarionet registers are used. The sound-boxes form four separate spaces, which rest at d against the wind-chest F, with the aid of felt, and between which all communication is closed. The connection of these boxes with the wind-chest is rendered in this manner thoroughly airh tight.

There are provided two vibrating reeds an d two sound-boxes for each tone, so that the sound power of the h'armonium can be doubled. When the valves cl2 are opened, the wind enters rapidly in the front sound-box and only this front reed is sounded. Vhen,

' on the other hand, the rear valve, d3, is also opened, the two reeds are simultaneously vibrated and the harmonium plays sharper or with more intensity. The reeds f are placed at the lower part of the air-slots e e. WVhen the key g or g is depressed for the purpose of playing, so that the rear part of the same is raised to a certain height, this key will, by means of its valve f, free the passage or channel for the reed f', and the wind, which is conducted either through one or through two sound-boxes E to the reed, allows the same to 4 5 be sounded.

The registers which are made use of in this combined piano and harmonium operate upon the air-valves d2 d3, which allow the wind to enter the front or rear sound-box as well as upon the expressive or high play, in order to allow the wind to proceed from the collecting-bellows to the wind-chest. The registers are arranged above the keys in the front board or wall of the piano, and are provided in a well-known manner with knobs or buttons upon which is inscribed the description of the corresponding register. The motion of the register is fully shown at a larger scale in Figs. 9 to `1l.

The register-knob h, passing through the front ledge, h', of the piano, (see Figs. 9 to 11,) carries at the back a bolt, h2, in which is formed an opening, h3, having the form of a slot. In this notch or slot is located one of the arms of the double-armed lever ,whichis movable in the projecting wooden part of the sound-box E. The shorter arm, i', presses against a plate,l 7c, which is held by means of a small frame, Z l, so as to be capable of turning around. While the lever-arm 'i' presses from above downward against the plate lr, the plate m2 has a tendency to press the valve upwardly under the action of the spring m and with the aid of the crank-lever m and of the draw-rod m3 of the valve. Vhen the knob of the register is pulled out, the lever-arm i is moved in the direction of the arrow I, Fig. 9, and the arm 1l of the cranklever pushes the valve downwardly, whereby the pressure of the spring m is overcome and the corresponding valve is opened. With reference to these valves which are used for the rear sound-boxes, a similar cranked lever may likewise be employed. In this case the prolongation of the plate m2 is pressed directly against the prolongation m4 of the valve in valves which allow of the expressive and high play to be played and determine the entrance of wind in the wind-box F. In this manner the register is rendered capable of being easily drawn out and kept steadily in the posi- `tion thus assumed. The registers are placed in front and over the key-board, so as to be little disturbed while the instrument is being played, and yet to be easily accessible when they have to be pulled out.

The piano, as already stated, may have mechanism of any suitable construction as well as pedals of the well-known or ordinary kind, and it is furnished with such an arrangement of parts that the said mechanism may be drawn back by means of a peculiar decres- IOO cendo device when the piano only is in-` tended to be played, and the hammers can be brought in contact with the felt of an anvil or counter-hammer, to be hereinafter described. This arrangement is clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, while Figs. 7 and 8 show the arrangement of the decrescendo mechanism.

The mechanism of the piano is arranged in a frame whose side walls, B, are arranged to move upon the bolt A of the frame A A. Thus these side walls, and with them the mechanism of the piano, are rendered capable of being moved away from the restof the frame. Itv is to enable such removal to be accom- IIO plished that the decrescendo mechanism is used ,in the manner hereinafter described.

The mechanism is usually and constantly pressed against the strings or chords by means of a spring, B2, whose lower end is iixed to the frame A, while its upper extremity rests against the side wall, B. Too great a pressure of the mechanism is prevented by means of the slant projections or blocks B3, which are arranged on the side walls of the frame A. In order to draw back the mechanism, the double lever o 0 is made use of and fixed to the frame A in such a manner as to be able to turn freely thereon, while it is provided with a cam-shaped boss, c', at the place where it passes, by means of its rod, through a slot, 02, formed in the side walls, B. The short leverarm o carries an upright piece, counter-hammer, or anvil, q, to which is fixed a bar, fr, covered over with felt and serving as abrake to stop the hammers. Vhen, now, the lever o is turned by means of the decrescendo mechanism in the direction of the arrow III, Fig. 5, the counter-hammer or anvil comes at once with its felt in front of the hammer, and in this manner inutiles the sound. lVhen, however, the lever-arm o is turned still farther from the right to the left hand side in consequence of the decrescendo mechanism being moved farther forward, then the calin-shaped boss fr is pushed against the front wall of the slot c2 and moves the whole mechanism bacl; wardly upon the bolt A. The hammers are thus drawn so far back that they are in connection with the felted anvil or counter-hammer q, which, being at the same time moved higher up, prevents the hammer from striking the strings or chords. The decrescendo mechanism is let in the floor or bottom of the piano, and is moved by the knee of the player. ln a slide-guide, F, Figs. 7 and S, moves the sliding piece Q,which carries two smallboards, P P, capable of being turned over or folded in a horizontal and in a vertical direction, whereby the rounded-ofi' part u, in conjunction with the spring w, prevents the unintentional turning of the small board P. These plates are shown close to one another in their expanded or unfolded state. A spring, a, bears with a certain. amount of pressure against the sliding piece Q and prevents its moving automatically. The sliding piece Q is terminated at its rear end with a projection, R, carrying a rod, R', screwed therein. In the space thus formed between the projection Rand the rod R is laid a lever, p p, Figs. et, 5, and G, movable about a center or pin, p, and whose arm, directed outwardly, rests against the double lever o o of the decrescendo mechanism. The more the sliding piece Q is moved (to the right or left hand side) by the knee of the player the more the in its left-handed position and the treadles a a are left alone or released, so that, the mechanism of the piano having been brought back, the playing takes place (with a silent leyboard as far as the harmonium is concerned) as generally effected by piano-players.

In order to increase the facility of operation of the various parts, hinges DL are arranged between the bottom part of the key-board C and the key-board ledge or support D, which ledge 0r support is firmly connected with the wood-work forming the rear part of the soundboxes.

That l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a combined piano and harmonium, as hereinbefore described, the decrescendo mechanism consisting of the folding part-s P P, sliding` piece Q, lever p p', acoustic hammer or anvil covered with felt, o', and a cam-shaped boss, fu', mounted in the frame B of the mechanism, substantially as described, for redneing the intensity of the tones of the piano or for entirely arresting the action of the hammers upon the string or chords and drawing back the frame of the mechanism, as set forth.

In witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB VILHELM ERBE. lVitnesses:

PAUL FISCHER,

Roi. 

